1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to animal leashes and, more particularly, to a shock absorber leash.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known by those familiar with the raising and training animals, animals are born with their natural, essentially wild instincts substantially intact, and, therefore, it is recognized that the domestication of animals requires training to overcome the animal's innate, inborn natural instincts.
Attempts have been made in the past to introduce a better shock absorber for elastically and resistively yield to stretching and jerking applied thereagainst by a struggling animal being tied that has to endure all such without damage or breaking until its inherent instinct to free itself from restraint has been overcome and broken by a training exercise. Therefore, a safe and humane device was always necessary for training animals to accept being tied, while substantially eliminating injury to the animal during training. Furthermore, a well designed device must reduce the impact applied from an animal, through the leash, to the wrist of a user holding the handle of the latter, or/and to user's shoulder.
Keeping in mind the fact that small animals, such as dogs, differ in weight, size, age, breed, etc., a leash capable to accommodate this variety and provide a “comfort zone” in use for the animal and user constitutes yet a not solved problem.
Among the patents presenting some similarities with the present invention, one can mention the following:
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0145804 A1, published Aug. 7, 2003, inventor Carlo Vaccari and entitled “LEAD WITH ERGONOMIC HANDGRIP” describes a lead with a series of rigid elements alternating with a series of elastic elements designed to act as a shock absorber for any jerks caused by abrupt accelerations and decelerations of the animal. This lead presents mainly two shortcomings. First, a structure comprising alternating rigid and elastic elements requires a specialized factory to manufacture this combination. Second, no means to adjust the length of the foregoing structure are considered. U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2003/0056338 A1, published Mar. 27, 2003, inventor Joseph Anscher and entitled “SHOCK ABSORBING STRAP ATTACHMENT DEVICE” discloses a device that connects to a strap for absorbing the shock when the strap is suddenly pulled. The device has a frame with two longitudinal sides and a series of lateral guides disposed along the frame between the two sides. The guides define openings through which a strap extends. When the strap is inserted into the device, it is placed through the openings and over guides. The guides also hold the strap in place so that the device does not slide off the strap. In the relaxed state, the attachment device maintains a serpentine configuration with peaks and valleys. When tension is applied, the device is stretched out, but returns to the original serpentine configuration when the tension is removed. The shape and material help absorb the force applied to the strap and reduce its effect on the strap, to thus reduce breakage of the strap and buckles and reduce injury to the user. Anscher's device presents the following disadvantages: First, the device is complicated and cumbersome. Second, no means to adjust the device for specific conditions of use are contemplated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,328, granted to Campbell on Feb. 23, 1999 for a “PET LEASH WITH LENGTH-LIMITED ELASTIC SECTION” relates to a leash assembly. The latter includes a handle and an elongate strap connected at one end of the handle, the other end being adapted to be connected to a collar worn by the dog. An elastic element has a first length when in a relaxed state and is extensible four inches to a second length when fully extended. The elastic element is attached to the strap with the length of the strap between attached ends of the elastic element substantially equal to the second length. The force required to reach the fully extended state is about 5 pounds or 2.3 kilograms. The leash assembly described in this patent contain a main disadvantage. There is no means provided for adjusting the length of the elastic element to correlate with a usual force applied by a certain dog. U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,876, granted to McPhail on Sep. 15, 1992 for a “SHOCK ABSORBER LEASH” relates to an extendable elastic leash. This leash has both elastic and non-elastic members, the elastic member being parallel to a first non-elastic member and when the elastic member is at its full extension, the length of the elastic member and the parallel first non-elastic member are the same. The main shortcomings of this extendable elastic leash reside in the fact that the elastic member has a constant length and the non-elastic member is not continuous.